RAW Dialog: Hilite Recovery problem

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keithrj
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What is the make/model of your primary camera?: Canon 40D
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RAW Dialog: Hilite Recovery problem

Post by keithrj »

No matter what level of Hilite Recovery I set they all appear to give exactly the same result of extreme recovery (very darkened image).

Can someone please check if their Hilite Recovery works correctly.
Dieter Mayr
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Re: RAW Dialog: Hilite Recovery problem

Post by Dieter Mayr »

With my Fuji RAF-files, Highlight recovery works fine.

Dieter
Dieter Mayr
keithrj
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Re: RAW Dialog: Hilite Recovery problem

Post by keithrj »

Thanks Dieter.

I have the problems with both Canon CRW and CR2 files.
ksinkel
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Re: RAW Dialog: Hilite Recovery problem

Post by ksinkel »

Highlight recovery darkens the image somewhat to make room for recovered highlights. The highlight recovery Level control determines the radius over which recovery works. The best way to use it is to first set Level to a low value. Check your largest blown highlights for full recovery. If you find the center areas are still clipped, increase the Level setting.

In the highlight recovery section (http://www.dl-c.com/Temp/Press/PWP%205. ... tures.html), there is an image suffering from flash burn. Blown areas are very large and recovery required a seting of Level 8. However this is unusual and in most cases Level 2 or 3 are adequate with higher levels giving no advantage.

Kiril
Kiril Sinkel
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JML
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Re: RAW Dialog: Hilite Recovery problem

Post by JML »

I have noticed what I think Keith is referring to in that Highlight Recovery seems to hit the problem with the same hammer no matter the size of the nail. In an image that needs only slight recovery, the histogram is often pushed quite a ways to the left leaving a rather dark image. In other words, I think the algorithm could use a softer touch when the degree of needed recovery is modest.

The radius setting allows wider searching to find data to rebuild lost channels, but that seems to be a different problem than how much room is alloted for recovery by darkening the image.

Jim
ksinkel
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Re: RAW Dialog: Hilite Recovery problem

Post by ksinkel »

After setting highlight recovery, use the shadow, midtone and highlight sliders to set image brightness as desired.

Kiril
Kiril Sinkel
Digital Light & Color
MarkT
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Joined: April 24th, 2009, 2:07 pm

Re: RAW Dialog: Hilite Recovery problem

Post by MarkT »

Hi,

Here are two results of a sample hilite recovery:

Level One:
level_8_hilite_recovery_pwp.jpg
level_8_hilite_recovery_pwp.jpg (22.26 KiB) Viewed 8130 times
Level Eight:
level_1_hilite_recovery_pwp.jpg
level_1_hilite_recovery_pwp.jpg (22.29 KiB) Viewed 8133 times
I would agree that there is little difference between the two results. If anything, by observing the histograms closely it seems as if the Level One result has shifted things even more to the left the the Level Eight. (I'm correct in thinking the "One" is a little amount of recovery and "Eight" is a lot?)

Also, I'm still curious as to why the highlight are converted to magenta. I've not seen this with any other RAW conversion software so I'm less inclined to use PWP for converting RAW files where the highlights need work.

Looking forward to any clarification.

Thanks.

Mark
MarkT
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Re: RAW Dialog: Hilite Recovery problem

Post by MarkT »

Ooops, seems as though I've switched my images. Sorry...
randys
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Joined: April 27th, 2009, 6:27 pm

Re: RAW Dialog: Hilite Recovery problem

Post by randys »

I too don't use it because hilites turn magenta for my CR2 files.I have tried every setting I can find to no avail. Doesn't seem to like Canon files. Problem does not exist with other RAW converters I have used. I would love to see this fixed.
Hoping
Randy
Andreas
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Joined: April 24th, 2009, 8:48 pm

Re: RAW Dialog: Hilite Recovery problem

Post by Andreas »

Mark, could you show an example where PWP gives a magenta tint while another converter does well ?

Two months ago there was a thread about highlight recovery in the Pentax dpreview forum:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read. ... e=32998396

(Unfortunately, some images have disappeared by now.)

PWP seemed to be the only program able to recover the burn-out highlights, so I don't think there's something wrong with it. But HR does not work in all cases -it depends on the headroom you have; therefore I'm curious to see an example with two results compared, if possible.
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